diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kernel/head_64.S b/arch/powerpc/kernel/head_64.S
index cf2c08902c05..d36939029701 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kernel/head_64.S
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kernel/head_64.S
@@ -400,8 +400,12 @@ generic_secondary_common_init:
 #else
 	LOAD_REG_ADDR(r8, paca_ptrs)	/* Load paca_ptrs pointe	 */
 	ld	r8,0(r8)		/* Get base vaddr of array	 */
+#if (NR_CPUS == 1) || defined(CONFIG_FORCE_NR_CPUS)
+	LOAD_REG_IMMEDIATE(r7, NR_CPUS)
+#else
 	LOAD_REG_ADDR(r7, nr_cpu_ids)	/* Load nr_cpu_ids address       */
 	lwz	r7,0(r7)		/* also the max paca allocated 	 */
+#endif
 	li	r5,0			/* logical cpu id                */
 1:
 	sldi	r9,r5,3			/* get paca_ptrs[] index from cpu id */